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PORT VILA, Vanuatu (May 30, 2001 – Radio Australia)---Vanuatu’s Ombudsman has strongly recommended that the government put in place appropriate safeguards to ensure that managing directors of financial institutions, statutory bodies and public trustees do not use their positions for personal gain.

The recommendations are in a report by Hannington Alatoa on alleged breaches of leadership conduct and mismanagement by the former managing director of Vanuatu’s Development Bank, Augustine Garae.

It’s alleged that in 1997 Mr. Garae transferred to his personal account an allowance of more than AUD$ 7,000 (US$ 3,561) for a conference in the United States, which was later cancelled.

This money has not been paid back to the bank.

The Ombudsman said senior managers of statutory bodies should be scrupulous in their behavior.

The government has been urged to ensure that persons who use their position for personal gain should be held accountable for their...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (May 31, 2001 – Radio Australia)---Air Pacific, Fiji’s national flag carrier, will have to consider restructuring its operations if the airline does not recover within the next 12 months from last year’s financial setback, said Air Pacific chairman Gerald Barrack.

The airline suffered a $36 million fiscal year loss.

He said the political crisis last year had made a severe dent in the airline’s business.

Mr. Barrack said that if all goes well, Air Pacific will make a profit this year.

But in the meantime, he added, some workers would lose their jobs in the anticipated restructuring process.

Air Pacific recently resumed services from Fiji to Tokyo, Auckland and Sydney.

Mr. Barrack said services to Tonga, Wellington and Samoa will resume later, if passenger demand is sufficient.

AVARUA, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (May 26 2001 – Cook Islands News)---Preparations are falling into place for the mardi gras and fireworks display which will be held on the Ara Maire Nui on the Avarua waterfront.

Te Aponga Uira workers installed electricity to the center strip directly outside Westpac Bank to power streetlights, a band stage, and a searchlight, which will be used on the evening of June 11 to top off the country’s centennial celebrations.

"This is really the last place left where all the people on Rarotonga can fit," says Geoff Bergin, who is coordinating the fireworks display.

"When we held the fireworks at the Civic Center on New Year’s, that place was too small."

The question of safety was also crucial in staging the exhibition at the new venue -- Bergin saying the fireworks will be ignited about 100 meters (330 feet) from the shore-- just inside the reef, and not from the Matai "boiler" as originally planned.

MADANG, Papua New Guinea (May 31, 2001 – Radio Australia)---An investigation in Papua New Guinea has confirmed that a series of explosions in stoves and lanterns earlier this year was caused by contaminated kerosene.

Radio Australia correspondent Richard Dinnen reports that five people died and at least 40 were injured in the explosions in Madang province in February.

"Kerosene lanterns and stoves began exploding around Madang in early February, and authorities banned the sale of kerosene imported from Australia by BP.

"PNG’S Department of Industrial Relations has found that the kerosene was accidentally contaminated with unleaded petrol at BPs depot in Madang, creating a volatile mixture, which would explode when lit.

"The department’s investigators say appropriate checks were not carried out prior to the kerosene being sold, and cited inadequate supervision, poor staff training and inadequate safety measures as contributing causes.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (May 31, 2001 – Radio Australia)---The Solomon Islands government needs AUD$ 2 million (US$ 1,017,400) to conduct a national general election later this year.

Development planning minister Michael Maina said the money would include covering the cost of registering voters.

Mr. Maina has presented an election budget and work plan to development partners, who have indicated a willingness to provide financial and technical assistance for the scheduled general election in November.

A statement from the ministry said donors promising support include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the European Union.

Several donors have indicated they will send special missions to the Solomons capital, Honiara, this month to firm up support, PACNEWS reports.

ALOFI, Niue (June 1, 2001 – Radio Australia)--Premier Sani Lakatani is confident Royal Tongan Airlines will sign an agreement with the Niue government this month guaranteeing twice a week scheduled service from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga to Niue.

The air services agreement, projected to run through October of this year, likely will include a Niue government subsidy paid for empty seats, a waiver on landing fees and duty free aviation fuel.

Scheduled air service to Niue was cancelled for over two months earlier this year due to Royal Tongan fiscal and licensing problems. Currently, one flight a week is provided.

The Pacific news service, PACNEWS, reports that tourism operators are concerned because there are insufficient airline seats a week to support a viable visitor industry.

PAPE‘ETE, French Polynesia (June 1, 2001 – Tahitipresse)---Landing rights for Hawaiian Airlines to continue Los Angeles-Tahiti charter flights have been renewed for another three years by French Polynesia's Council of Ministers.

The charter flights are operated in conjunction with two Renaissance cruise ships based in Pape‘ete.

Hawaiian Airlines brings in approximately 45,000 tourists a year to the French territory via the charter flights.

Hawaiian also provides twice-weekly service to Pape‘ete from Honolulu.

SUVA, Fiji Islands (June 2, 2001 – Radio Australia)---The interim government has agreed to permit foreign representatives to observe August 25 - September 1 national elections that will return Fiji to democracy.

The caretaker regime, established by the military after last year’s May 19 civilian coup attempt, has endorsed the participation of the United Nations Commonwealth Secretariat and the European Union.

Earlier, the U.S. proposed that the Carter Center in Georgia assist in ensuring free and fair elections, but the offer was not accepted.

NEW POLLING STATIONS FOR FIJI AUGUST ELECTIONS

SUVA, Fiji Islands (June 1, 2001 – Radio Australia)---The August elections in Fiji will see 25 new polling stations, bringing the total number of polling centers to 780.

This is an increase of 25 additional stations when compared to the 1999 elections.

Election supervisor Walter Rigamoto said the new polling stations will be mainly concentrated in...

The deal, expected to close by the end of the year, will make First Hawaiian a strong No.3 in the region in terms of market share, just behind No.2 Bank of Hawai‘i and No. 1 Bank of Guam. It will also free up capital for the San Francisco-based Union Bank that has been hurt recently by bad loans and losses in some of its operations.

First Hawaiian said it plans to close the two Union Bank branches on Guam because of local banking laws and move the deposit and loan accounts to a nearby First Hawaiian branch. On Saipan, it will keep both its branches and the only Union Bank branch there.

Transcript Australian Broadcasting Corporation First Broadcast May 30, 2001

The Indonesian province of Irian Jaya or West Papua is one region where support for President Wahid remains high.

The independence movement there has been able to organize publicly under Mr. Wahid’s leadership and there are fears of a possible return to the heavy handed military approach of the Suharto years should Megawati Sukarnoputri take over the reigns of government.

West Papuan independence leader Theys Eluay has been particularly close to the president, who has promised to pardon him if is he is convicted of the sedition charges he’s currently facing.

Tricia Fitzgerald takes a closer look at the charismatic chief Theys Eluay and his changing relations with Jakarta.

FITZGERALD: There are five West Papuan independence leaders currently on trial for subversion, but Chief Theys Eluay’s prosecution is by far...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.